You and me
by moonbunny31
Summary: Ginny finds Harry in the common room in the middle of the night and talks to him because he's upset.
1. Default Chapter

You and me  
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. If I did, you wouldn't have heard of Harry Potter. I'd still be somewhere in the middle of book one. I don't own Mathilda either.  
  
Author's notes: Fear not, readers, this is not a crossover. I got the idea for this after watching the movie, Mathilda. Don't ask me why I was watching it, I was bored. Wasn't that bad, though, now that I think about it. Be gentle, 'tis my first fic. Okay, story time!  
  
Ginny Weasley woke up in the middle of the night with hunger pains. She had skipped dinner (they had been served some weird concoction and she had been afraid to approach it with her fork). Quietly, as to not disturb her fellow fourth year students, she slipped out of bed and made her way downstairs.  
  
When she entered the common room, she noticed a fire was going in the fireplace. It was rather odd. The house elves usually extinguish the fire when they all went to sleep. She squinted in the semi-darkness. If she wasn't mistaken, there was a figure sitting on the couch. She crept a little closer.  
  
It looked like.'Harry?' she thought. 'Maybe he fell asleep down here again.' Ginny didn't want to disturb him, but she couldn't leave him. If he stayed down there all night, Ron would never let him live it down and Hermione would keep bugging him if he was feeling alright. "Harry?" she asked, this time out loud.  
  
He had been awake after all; his head whipped around to face her. "Ginny? What are you still doing up?"  
  
'Look who's talking.' "I skipped dinner, so I thought I'd sneak into the kitchen and get something, uh, edible."  
  
He chuckled. "Know what you mean. Well, don't let me stop you. Just watch out for Filch. Gross dinners prelude his favorite stalking nights." He turned away from her and stared at the fire.  
  
"Yeah, right." She started toward the portrait, but stopped halfway there. "Harry?" He turned his face toward once more and raised an eyebrow in question. "Stay there, huh? I want to talk to you when I get back." She left the common room without waiting for an answer. She knew he wasn't going anywhere.  
  
I know, I know. Painfully short. I'm just really busy and I've got writer's block. Also, I wanted to get this out. I'm also aware of the fact that I haven't mentioned the story Mathilda, but I will. I'm not so weird that I write random disclaimers. Wait. Anyway, review and tell me what you think. It can be short. Don't matter. Maybe if a lot of people review, I'll update quicker! Yeah! Go reviewers! And I'll thank all you do review in the next chapter, cause I know it gives me the giggles. Well, see ya! 


	2. He needs you

You and me  
Chapter Two  
  
Disclaimer: Once again, Harry Potter is not mine. I asked for him for Christmas and I didn't get him. However, I did get lots of fun Harry Potter stuff. The story Mathilda isn't mine, either. Wow, I own practically nothing, huh?  
  
Ginny mumbled a mild curse as she barely missed Peeves' notice. 'I should have asked Harry for his invisibility cloak,' she thought. Sighing, she tiptoed out of her hiding spot when it seemed the coast was clear.  
  
If truth were told, she was worried about Harry. He had been quiet ever since the school year started. He hadn't been sleeping on a regular basis. And so far, there has been no adventures, or even nighttime wanderings. The thing that worried her most of all was the fact that he seemed to be furthering himself away from Ron and Hermione. Of course, Harry had become closer to her. He seemed to trust her and, wonders of wonders, she managed to hold her blushes around him. Her embarrassing crush on him was long gone, but she knew that it had grown to something stronger. Naturally, she'd never tell him that.  
  
Ginny was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't notice Mrs. Norris until she was running to get Filch. Ginny felt a chill run down her back; she had never gotten a detention before, and she had heard horror stories from Fred and George. They could have exaggerated, as they normally do, but even Harry had mentioned one detention he had in the Forbidden Forest and the one with gasp! Professor Lockhart.  
  
"Where, my pet?" Merlin, Filch was creepy. Quickly, Ginny hid behind a stone gargoyle, hoping Filch wouldn't notice her. However, her hopes were dashed away when the gargoyle moved and she let a squeak.  
  
"Miss Weasley?" Great! It was Professor Dumbledore. She just had to hide the entrance to the headmaster's office, didn't she? And he just had to come out of it, didn't he. She was in serious trouble. Suddenly, Filch was upon him.  
  
"Ah ha! I see you've caught a student out of bed!" Filch seemed overly pleased to pass out detentions.  
  
Dumbledore nodded. "Yes, it would seem so. Why don't you and your lovely cat (AN: I thought Filch only had Mrs. Norris as a cat. Heh heh.) run along and I'll take care of her." Filch nodded, then sulked off, obviously disappointed in being unable to see the fear in a student's face for as long as possible.  
  
Ginny looked up at Dumbledore, awaiting her lecture and/or detention. However, she was surprised to notice his eyes were twinkling as is he was greatly amused. "I would be a hypocrite if I gave you a detention." At her confused look he merely asked, "Kitchens?"  
  
They were walking towards the kitchens when Ginny couldn't help but ask, "Why are you going to the kitchens?" She figured he had important business with the house elves or something.  
  
He chuckled. "I was going to eat dinner, but I do believe it tried to jump up off my plate and bite me on the nose." He tapped the mentioned facial feature and Ginny giggled. It seemed nobody liked the dinner tonight.  
  
They reached the portrait of the fruit and Ginny, after a moment's hesitation, reached up and gently scratched the pear. She wasn't sure if she was supposed to know this trick and she didn't want to get in trouble for it. She felt better when she noticed that the Professor was smiling down at her. "Ah, I noticed you learned that invaluable secret. I suppose it was your twin brothers who told you?"  
  
She shook her head. "Actually, it was Harry." She couldn't be sure, but she thought that he looked amused by this piece of information.  
  
Once they were settled with their nighttime meals, Ginny with tomato soup and Professor Dumbledore with two meatloaf sandwiches, Dumbledore spoke to her. "Something on your mind, Miss Weasley, besides your soup?"  
  
Ginny sighed. Why was it that the old wizard seemed to know everything? She dipped her spoon into the red liquid but didn't bring a spoonful to her lips. She really didn't know what to say. "I.I guess I'm just." Why was she so nervous in confiding in him? It wasn't like he was Snape that would yell at her for being sentimental. Maybe she felt that talking about him to anyone would make him upset. She knew how much he hated people fussing over him.  
  
Once again, Dumbledore seemed to have an endless supply of knowledge. "Worried about Harry?" Ginny nodded, continuing to stare into her soup. Why was it that the fact that Harry owned her heart so obvious to everyone? Everyone except Harry, of course, thank Merlin. How awkward that would be. She didn't think their friendship would survive if he knew. He wouldn't know how to act around her; afraid to hurt her feelings or lead her on. Not to mention his uncertainly in relationships.  
  
She stole a glance at her headmaster. He was looking at her with patient eyes and a kind smile playing on his lips. It was no wonder Hagrid and Harry were so loyal to him. He inspired trust and you knew that you could tell him anything. Still, it was difficult. "I know how Harry feels about the events of the Triwizard tournament, and, well." She honestly didn't know how to say it. However, she knew that it was a delicate subject for Harry and she should treat it as such.  
  
Dumbledore seemed to understand what she meant. He nodded thoughtfully. "Well, I do believe that you should ponder your thoughts and talk to him about it. I must confess that I am slightly worried about young Mr. Potter myself. He trusts me, I know, but I feel that you are the only that can reach him. Don't look so surprised, now. Your friendship may be new, but I believe he trust you above all others. Above me, above his godfather, beyond even Mr. Weasley and Ms. Granger." At her shocked expression, the amused twinkle was back in his eyes. "You may not know it, he may not even know it, but I know it to be true. I am very wise, after all." Ginny suppressed a chuckle despite the serious conversation. Spoken from anyone from him, the last comment would have sounded vain. However, it was Dumbledore.  
  
"Now, I will leave you to finish your soup." With that, Dumbledore left the kitchens and Ginny. She knew that he really left, not to let her finish her meal, but to let all that he said sink in. She supposed that it could be true. She shook her head. Whether it was true or not, however, she had to talk to Harry. She couldn't just let her worry eat at her and Harry's supposed guilt eat at him. With her mind made up, she got up and left.  
  
She discovered Dumbledore waiting for her. "I shall escort you back to your common room, Ms. Weasley, lest Mr. Filch is still lurking around." She smiled. They walked in silence until they reached the Fat Lady. Before Ginny could say the password, Dumbledore turned to her and looked at her seriously. "Ginny," She blinked. He had never called her by her first name before. "I want you to remember something. Even heroes need someone. And Ginny, Harry needs you."  
  
She nodded, not trusting her voice. However, she couldn't help but notice and comment on something, although it sounded stupid at a time like this. "You didn't eat your second sandwich." Indeed, the second meatloaf sandwich was in his hand. Merlin, what a dumb remark.  
  
He looked at it absently. "It's for Fawkes." He shrugged. "You wouldn't believe how hungry rising from your own ashes makes you." She smiled, but when he started to walk away, she had to once again suppress a laugh. Instead of shoes, he was wearing fuzzy pink slippers with purple polka dots. That wizard was wise, yes, but he was also slightly insane. Snape wouldn't be caught dead in those slippers and perhaps that was why everyone liked Dumbledore.  
  
She turned to the portrait of the Fat Lady and felt nerves creep upon her once again. She shook her head to somehow clear her doubts and looked up at the painting. "Mimblewimble." The portrait swung open and she could have sworn she heard the Fat Lady mutter something along the lines of "never should have taken Dumbledore's suggestion for that password."  
  
Ginny climbed into the common room and Harry noticed her entry. He stood up and looked at her. The firelight danced off his hair and glasses, though she could still his brilliant green eyes. "Hello, Harry." Great, now she was even more nervous.  
  
"Hello, Ginny. You wanted to talk to me?" Something about his voice relaxed her and she knew that she could talk to him about anything. She usually could. Sometimes, when neither could sleep, they'd stay up and talk to each other about nothing and everything. They would fall asleep together and she wouldn't have nightmares about Tom and she knew he wouldn't have nightmares about that night in the graveyard when he rose again to power. She called him Tom because that's how she saw him ever since the incident with the Chamber of Secrets. Besides, he seemed less frightening if she called him that. Also, Harry tended to call him that too. Naturally, she got up and left before Ron found out. Ron would probably kill Harry if he found out and took things the wrong way, despite their strong friendship.  
  
"Yes, please, sit down. It.it might take a while." Harry waited until she crossed the room and sat down on the couch before sitting down himself and looking at her expectantly.  
  
AN: heh. Another day, another chapter! Six pages, that's a lot for me. Horray! The thing with the password was the fact that in the first book, I was always greatly amused when I read the part when Hagrid scares Uncle Vernon. Heh. Well, I'd like to give thanks to all those who reviewed! So, here we go:  
  
Whitetail: Thank you so much! You were the first person to review and inspired me for this chapter. So I guess you helped this thing along! Thanks bunchies! It gave me the giggles. Like five minutes after I posted the chapter, I got your review. It made me very happy. I'm looking forward to your story as well.  
  
Meguin: Pickles! Heh! Thanks for reading anyway, even if you didn't know what it was about. You're kinda clueless, anyway. Heh. Just kidding. Don't worry, people. I'm not being mean, I just know her. Heh, heh. Pickles. Pickles are yummy. Especially on turkey sandwiches!  
  
Punkin: Thanks for the suggestions. The problem is, I've tried to make it so it's not so bulky, but I guess I'm dumb cause I keep screwing it up. Ah well, I guess I'll have to take what I can get. Thanks again!  
  
Good ol' pal: Thanks for reading, even though you don't read Harry Potter. I don't think you do, anyway. I know, I know, people, gasp! I know her too, in case you're wondering. Isn't that sad? About half of my reviews came from people I know. And I made this one read it. Heh.  
  
Angelhitomi: Horray! You read and reviewed! This makes me happy. I was ever so pleased. And what a nice review too! It made me smile. I'm sure I'll continue to like your story. Well, here's the next chapter, so back, Timmain, back! Snakes are scary! Heh! Now, you update or I'll sic, uh, um.I'll sic Dumbledore's fuzzy pink with purple polka dots slippers on you! Heh heh!  
  
Random Harry Potter thing: You know you're obessesed with Harry Potter when you see a big black dog and immediately think Sirius Black/Padfoot/Snuffles. (Well, he was really, really big. Came to my knees. Sweet looking though. My mum thinks I'm sick, what do you think?)  
  
Well, see you later! 


	3. what sleep knows

You and me  
  
Chapter Three  
  
Disclaimer: I think it would be obvious by now that Harry Potter and Mathilda are not mine. This displeases me greatly.  
  
I think I'm going to thank the reviewers first. Yeah, that's what I'll do.  
  
Angelhitomi- As always, thank you for your review. You update your self soon, you hear? And get Timmain away from me. I hate snakes. I'd cuddle with a snake as soon as Ron cuddles with Aragog. Which will be never.  
  
Julie - Thanks! I'll be looking for your stories!  
  
Shieldmaiden - Thank you for your review! Yeah, Dumbledore with slippers is kinda funny. It's also always fun to find someone who prefers Harry with Ginny.  
  
LizhowHP - Heh. Bloody brilliant. Sounds like something Ron would say. Snicker snicker.  
  
Hellogirl - I can't wait for book five, either! I'm so excited. I heard that Ginny is supposed to be in book five more, which pleases me. Really, though, you shouldn't sell yourself short. Post something! It's a lot of fun.  
  
Dragongirl - Eh, thank you, I think. Do you mean that you wished it be mushier or are you tired of mush? It sounded like a compliment, so I'm going to go with that.  
  
Okay, done with that. On with the story.  
  
Harry waited as he watched Ginny fidget. He didn't really know what she wanted to talk to him about, but he had noticed that she acted strangely around him lately. However, to be honest, he sometimes didn't know how to act around her. It was just that he felt differently about her than anyone else. She meant a lot to him, he knew, but he didn't really understand it. It was a little like how he felt about Ron and Hermione, but it was still very different. Harry had thought about it a lot, but he still had no idea what it meant.  
  
Ginny lifted her head so her brown eyes could meet his green ones. She couldn't help the surge of confidence from the adorable clueless look on his face. Ginny had troubles with her self-worth, but one look at one of Harry's facial expressions made it seem that she could do anything. It looked like Harry was thinking about something truly perplexing. It was as if he was contemplating the greatest mystery of the world.  
  
Harry looked at Ginny as she gave a distant smile. He wondered what she seemed to see. "Ginny?"  
  
"Er, yes." She really hoped he didn't notice her staring at him. That was too much like something she did in her first year. "Harry, I really want to talk to you, er, about something. I.I know it's a sensitive for you and all, but, you know." She didn't want to tell him she was worried about him. That would cause him to shut off from her even though he had no trouble talking about everything else. He would just tell her to not to worry and either change the subject or end the conversation all together. It wasn't that he was rude about it. It was just that after all the years with the Durselys not caring a whit about him, having people truly worrying about him made him embarrassed. If there was one emotion he hated, it was embarrassment. He was too independent to deal with it.  
  
"Oh. You're worried about me and the whole Tri-wizard tournament thing." He mentally cursed himself as he saw her wince. He said that a little too curtly. He didn't mean to, but when people just didn't seem to see that he could take care of himself. He always took care of himself, ever since before he could remember. "Sorry," he muttered.  
  
Ginny decided to use her trump card. "We have to talk about it. It will make me feel a lot better. Please, Harry? For me?" She gave him her doe-eyed look, the one she used many times against her father and brothers (it never worked against her mother). She supposed she should feel guilty about using it against Harry, but desperate times called for desperate measures. She knew that asking Harry to do it for her would get him because if he didn't, he would feel like a heel knowing she was upset. She didn't use it often because it was rather sneaky. When Ginny saw the defeated look on his face, she gave herself a mental pack on the back for a job well done.  
  
Harry gave a sigh. She got him there. Why did she have to give him that look? It was a look that seemed to say 'do it or you're a jerk'. She probably wasn't aware she was looking at him like that, but he couldn't very well tell her no now. "Okay. We'll talk about it. Er." He scratched his head a little, completely at a loss. "Er, where do we start?"  
  
Ginny gave a small smile. Heart to heart conversations were never Harry's strong point. She shifted her body so she was fully facing Harry. Harry did the same. He bit his lower lip, looking very nervous. She wanted to bite that lower lip herself, but she didn't think that would be a good conversation starter. Well, it would start a conversation, but not quite the one she wanted to start. "Well, I know that you've been feeling.well, poorly, for a lack of a better word, about the whole thing."  
  
"Understatement of the year," he said, rolling his eyes.  
  
He was trying for some humor to deter the seriousness of the conversation, but Ginny would have none of it. Being raised by her mother didn't teach her nothing. "Yes, well, I know that you supposedly feel guilty about what happened." she started, but he cut her off.  
  
"Supposedly?" It was his fault. Why wasn't he allowed to feel guilty about it? "Ginny, it was my fault. It was my fault that Cedric died and it was my fault that Tom rose again to power. Everything is always my fault." He clenched his fists in self-hatred.  
  
"Oh, Harry." She put her hands on his fists to perhaps calm him down and uncurl his fingers. His head was bowed and he wouldn't look her in the eyes. "No, Harry. None of it was your fault." She hated those relatives of his for doing this to him. Living with them for so long left more damage than anyone knew. He grew up being told that everything that went wrong was his fault because he was different from them. "Please, Harry, look at me." When he still wouldn't meet her gaze, she lifted his chin. She was surprised she was able to suppress the gasp when she saw the pained expression on his face. "Harry, listen to me. It wasn't your fault. You didn't want it to happen, did you? You didn't plan it, did you? It was Tom's fault. He did everything, not you."  
  
Harry nodded, but still looked uncertain. "Why do you care so much?" She knew that he honestly wanted to know why anyone would care about him, and that made her want to cry. "Why do you care when I hurt?" A tear escaped his notice and started to slide down his cheek.  
  
Ginny leaned toward him and pressed her cheek against his before the tear made it to his chin. When she pulled back, it looked like it was her own tear. "Because when you hurt, I hurt too." He smiled a little and reached up to wipe the moisture from her face the same time she wiped the tear from his cheek.  
  
"Thank you, Ginny." He gathered her close. She wrapped her arms around his waist and he hugged her around her shoulders. Her head fit snugly under his chin. She breathed deeply and smelled the smell that was uniquely Harry. He smelled like soap and chocolate. She could hear his steady heartbeat and smiled when he kissed the top of her head. "Thank you for everything. How can I ever repay you?"  
  
She pulled back to look up at him with a smile. "Read to me?" Her heart beat a little faster when he smiled back, truly smiled. She loved his smile. She seemed to be the only one to know when he really smiled. His eyes crinkled and his nose scrunched a little. When he really smiled, a dimple showed in his right cheek and you could see the subtle cleft in his chin. He nodded and got up to get the book.  
  
The book they always read from was called Mathilda. It was Harry's favorite muggle book. It was a children's book, but he loved it just the same. Ginny supposed it was because Harry felt he could relate to the young girl in the book. Her family was rotten and only cared about themselves and money. Mathilda didn't fit in with her family because she was different. Also, when Mathilda goes to school, she discovers she has powers to help her classmates and teacher. Granted, the troubles she faced and the troubles Harry had faced and will face was very different, but still Harry seemed to connect with the main character, even before he went to Hogwarts. Harry told Ginny that it was one of Dudley's, the ones he never read. Harry read it several times and never seemed to tire of it. Ginny just liked to listen to Harry read. He had a wonderful voice, especially since his voice had deepened over the summer. It was a good story, though.  
  
Harry quietly entered the fifth year boy's dormitory. He didn't want to wake anyone up, though a train wreck probably wouldn't wake Ron up. The book was in his trunk and the trunk was beside his bed. Unfortunately, he couldn't see since it was so dark. He eased his way around as best as he could, but he smacked his shoulder against the bed frame. "Ow!" It wasn't really loud, but he waited with breath held if anyone woke up. He heard Ron mumble something about the Cannons, but other than that, all was silent. He quickly opened his trunk, found the book, then snuck downstairs to Ginny.  
  
Ginny watched Harry walk down the stairs rubbing his shoulder. At her questioning look, he said, "I bumped my shoulder into something." She smiled when he held up the book in victory. Harry crossed over to a comfortable armchair by the fire. Ginny waited until he settled in and opened his arms as an invitation. She then got up and eased onto his lap. She rested her head on his chest and he wrapped the arm holding the book around her back. He used the other hand to hold her legs by one of her knees. Her job was to turn the pages.  
  
Ginny felt his voice rumble through his chest as he read about Mathilda having tea with Ms. Honey. She closed her eyes, feeling so content. She was falling asleep, she knew, but Harry was too. She heard him slowing down and just before Ms. Honey officially adopted Mathilda, they both fell asleep.  
  
Ron woke up when he heard Harry bump into something. He cracked one eye open and saw a figure waiting for something. He mumbled a little so he thought he was asleep. The figure got something out his trunk that looked like a book. He then left. Ron settled back into his pillows to wait a while. After what seemed like an hour, he got out of bed and tip toed down the stairs. He stopped at about the last step and hid in the shadows so his sister and best friend couldn't see him. He was watching them when Hermione joined him. "How did you know they were down here?" he whispered. He wasn't worried that Harry and Ginny would hear them, they were just about asleep.  
  
Hermione raised an eyebrow at him and whispered back, "I'm female, and as such, I know all about these things. Woman's intuition, you know." Ron nodded as if she just explained an important aspect in Potions. Together, they watched Harry drop the open book in Ginny's lap as they both fell into deep sleep. Harry's head drooped down over Ginny's and his glasses slide off his nose and fell on the open book. This was quite the accomplishment because of the bump at the bridge of his nose (Harry confessed that Dudley broke his nose when he was six. Apparently, his fat bugger of a cousin was always stronger than him).  
  
Dobby popped into the common room and gave Ron and Hermione a smile. He extinguished the fire, then made his way to the sleeping couple. He carefully took the book and glasses and placed them on the nearby table. He then got a large afghan and draped it over Harry and Ginny. He then popped back to the kitchens.  
  
Hermione couldn't help but sigh at the cute picture they made. Ron wrapped an arm around his waist, as if to say he was in agreement. "Do you think we should tell them about us?" she asked.  
  
Ron shrugged. "No. If they don't see fit to tell us about them, why should we tell them about you and me?" He grinned down at her, obviously enjoying their little secret. Hermione smiled back and they waited for Harry and Ginny to mumble in their sleep.  
  
"I love you, Harry."  
  
"I love you, Ginny."  
  
Hooray! I finished it! *teary-eyed* I'm so proud of myself. Review please! 


	4. Should I end the story here, or what?

Notes  
  
Just some side notes here. My first two chapters were really bulky, meaning there was one paragraph and it was really hard to read. I'm really sorry, I know that when I see a story like that, I don't bother to try to figure it out, so I understand if a lot of people skipped it for that reason. The thing was, I really had no idea what I was doing and I have to double double space my paragraphs to make any sense and I didn't know that at the time. There is still some stuff I can't figure out, but whatever. So far, so good, huh?  
  
Another thing. I got a review saying that it was a good beginning but there should be more chapters. Really, I intended it to end there, with Harry and Ginny not really knowing the other person loves them, you know. I thought it was sweet, in a way. They're there for each other and they have a very sweet relationship. I mean, one of the most important parts of a romantic relationship is friendship and not just making out. I wanted to show that. If, however, a bunch of people want me to expand it, I will. I don't know how, but I'll try my dandiest.  
  
Thanks for listening to my prattling! 


	5. Compromise, anyone?

More Notes  
  
Well, the people have spoken. I've had a lot of requests for more chapters. However, I really really like how it ended. It's really how I want it to end, so there it shall end.  
  
BUT, we shall make a compromise, you and I. I like how my story ended, you want it to be continued. A sequel it is, then! How about that? I've got a rough idea in my head already, but the problem is, the idea is the last chapter mostly. Ah well, I'll think of something. It might take a while because it's really close to the end of my senior year and I've got a zillion of things to do, including talk to someone about my class dues. They're saying I didn't pay them. But I did. Grrrr.. I'll try to post it up as soon as I can, though.  
  
Thanks to my fabulous reviewers! They made me very happy! Thanks to:  
  
David M. Potter, Brian, Dude Where's My Cheese, Malalou, me, Samokin, and Queen Papaya of the fruitcakes (awesome name, by the by) oh, and of course, angelhitomi  
  
Thanks for listening to me going blah blah blah and I hope you weren't hoping for a chapter here when all you got was crummy author's notes. That drives me nuts. 


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